In the past, Muay Thai was used as entertainment for the Kings and gloves were made out of wrapped twine, tar and broken pieces of glass to ensure a bloody event.

A very famous fighter was Nai Khanomtom. About 1774, he was captured along with other Thai prisoners either in a skirmish or at the fall of the ancient capital of Siam (Thailand's name at that time) of Ayutthaya. He was brought to Rangoon in Burma where the Burmese King Mangra was holding a religious festival in honor of Buddha's relics. The festivities included much entertainment. King Mangra was reported to be curious to see how the various fighting styles of Burma and other countries would compare. At one point, he wanted to see how Muay Thai (or Muay Boran) would compare to the Burmese art (either Parma (?) or Bando (?)). Nai Khanomtom was selected to fight against the Burmese champion. Nai Khanomtom did a Wai Kru (wai khru ram muay) pre-fight dance which puzzled the Burmese. When the fight began, he charged out and using punches, kicks, elbows and knees quickly pummelled the Burmese. The referee was reported to have stated that the Burmese was distracted by the Wai Kru (wai khru ram muay) so the knockout was invalid. The King then asked if Nai Khanomtom would fight nine other Burmese champions to prove himself. He agreed and fought them all, one after the other. The last Burmese was reputed to be a great boxing teacher. Nai Khanomtom defeated them all in a superior fashion. King Mangra was so impressed that he remarked,"Every part of the Thai is blessed with venom. Even with his bare hands he can fell nine or ten opponents. As his lord master was bad, so the country was lost to the enemy. If his lord were any good, there was no way the City of Ayutthaya would fall." He offered Nai Khanomtom freedom along with either riches or two beautiful Burmese wives. Nai Khanomtom chose the wives as he said that money was easier to find. He then departed with his wives for Siam (Thailand). Other variations of this story had him also winning the release of his fellow Thais. His feat is celebrated every March 17 as "Boxer's Day" or "National Muay Thai Day" in his honor and that of Muay Thai's.

Muay Thai or Thai boxing, in its most commonly seen sports form, is a full contact ring fighting art,often called the science of eight limbs (hands, elbows, feet, knees). Thai Boxing can be seen throughout Thailand in hundreds of stadiums and is now gathering popularity throughout the world. Thai Boxers are considered the "kings of the ring" due to their incredible ring record.The Thai international full contact competitors win over 80% of the time and most of those who defeat the Thais do so with methods similar to Thai Boxing. Currently, Thai Boxing is gaining popularity in many countries due to its simple, yet extremely effective approach to training and combat. Then you will see many muay thai camps or gyms in many country.